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Punch List: Tree care can improve quality of life

By Betty CahillSpecial to The Denver Post

Posted:
07/28/2012 01:00:00 AM MDT

K.C. the Great Dane seems happy to be in the shade on such a sunny day. ( Helen H. Richardson | The Denver Post)

TREE CARE

The shade trees that provide us with respite during these hot weeks deserve great respect, if not a hug (or maybe several). They buffer urban noise, improve air quality and improve our property values. Put simply, trees make people feel happy and comfortable — perhaps even providing solace in times of stress. Let's treat them accordingly.

• Deep, slow watering every seven to 10 days is recommended for mature trees. Young or newly planted trees need slow, deep watering every two to three days, preferably in the morning. More: cmg.colostate.edu/gardennotes/635.pdf

• Trees planted on slopes may need special soaker or drip hoses to prevent run-off. Check soil moisture by hand by using a trowel or screwdriver, and water if you can't dig down to a 1-foot depth.

TURF

Have you got "dog-on-lawn" problems? Nitrogen in dog waste can burn or kill the lawn, leaving brown spots. Females seem to do the most damage since they tend to eliminate all in one spot rather than several areas.

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• Remedies include training your dog to go in a designated area of the yard, preferably on gravel or a mulched area that is not affected by dog waste. If that's not possible, watering the area within 8 hours can reduce damage, but don't water the lawn more often than needed in our drought conditions. Take your dog for walks in parks or to the dog park, reducing the amount of waste at home.

• Dietary remedies given to dogs to reduce nitrogen levels in urine generally don't work — and such practices should always be discussed with a veterinarian. Make sure to provide ample water for your dog, which will dilute urine and potential for turf injury, not to mention helping them cope with the heat.

• Often-used doggie paths can wear out grass. Improving the soil along the area will improve turf recovery. Hand-aerate the area and add a light layer of compost over the aeration holes. Water deeply and infrequently. Mix in a small amount of liquid fertilizer such as compost tea to improve microbial activity and root growth.

• Over-seed damaged lawn areas later in the season when temperatures have cooled. Or remove the lawn and replace with gravel, mulch or new sod. Consider re-routing your doggie path if the area allows. csuturf.colostate.edu/pdffiles/Master%20Gardener/dog_urine_damage_infosheet_2009.pdf

• Pull carrots when the roots are 1 to 1½ inches in diameter at the top. The upper part of the carrot may turn green when exposed to sun, but that won't hurt you. You can mound soil over the crown of the root a few weeks before harvest to prevent greening.

PEST AND DISEASE WATCH

• Yellowjackets can become a nuisance during midsummer. Once they find a food source, they will regularly return, so when dining outdoors, keep food covered. Remove any open garbage and pet food containers. Many traps are commercially available. More on deterring nuisance wasps: www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05525.html

• Wilting symptoms in raspberries are most evident at this time of year due to cane-boring insects. Remove infested canes several inches below the wilted tip: www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1478.html/1207.html

Missy Franklin, Jenny Simpson, Adeline Gray and three other Colorado women could be big players at the 2016 Rio OlympicsWhen people ask Missy Franklin for her thoughts about the Summer Olympics that will begin a year from Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro, she hangs a warning label on her answer.